Cover for a tray



Dec. 4, 1962 J. D. BOSTROM COVER FOR A TRAY Filed May 18, 1960 INVENTOR: JOHN DONALD BOSTROM ATT'YS 3,966,824 CD /ER FUR A TRAY John Donai-d Bostrom, Niles, lit, assignor to Foster Packaging, line, Qhicago, Ill a corporation of Delta ware Filed May 18, Mei), Ser. No. 39,063 (Jlairns. (Cl. 220-60) This invention relates in general to a container for packaging foodstuffs, and more particularly to a cover for a tray which coacts therewith to define a container.

The cover of the present invention is especially useful for covering of foodstuff or the like supported on a tray, wherein the tray is of a rigid material. Specifically, the tray includes a substantially flat bottom, circular in shape, and having extending upwardly from the periphery thereof a continuous wall or panel. From the upper edge of the wall or panel, an outwardly extending annular flange is provided and which extends in a plane substantially parallel to the bottom of the tray. The cover is of a transparent flexible rapid recovery plastic having means for providing a snap fit on the tray and accordingly easily mountable thereon or removable therefrom. The cover includes a central substantially flat portion, circular in shape, and having a downwardly and slightly outwardly extending continuous wall portion at its periphery thereby defining an inverted cup-shaped vessel. An inverted substantially U-shaped locking ring is secured to the lower end of the wall and capable of effecting a snap fit relationship with the flange of the tray.

Throughout the specification and claims, it will be understood that the expression flexible rapid recovery plastic refers to materials which are flexible to the extent that they will bend or give when pressure is applied to them. In the trade, however, these materials are usually referred to as rigid plastic materials to distinguish them from other types of plastic materials which have substantially no rigidity.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a cover of flexible rapid recovery plastic for use on a conventional tray to coact with the tray in defining a container for packaging foodstuffs, wherein the plastic cover is transparent thereby permitting visual inspection of the foodstuff or goods packaged by the container.

Another object of this invention is in the provision of a cover of flexible rapid recovery plastic adapted for snap fit engagement on a conventional tray, wherein the cover is transparent and reusable, and may be easily and quickly mounted on or removed from the tray.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of a light weight and inexpensive transparent cover for use in combination with a conventional tray to package foodstuffs or goods and yet permit visual inspection of the goods packaged thereby.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a container including the conventional tray and the cover of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container embodying the cover of the present invention and illustrating it in assembled relationship with a conventional tray;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the container in FIG. 2 with a cover constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrating how the cover may be removed by the simple application of a knife; and

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the cover of the present invention illustrating the terminal ends of the groove which serve to engage the peripheral edge of the flange on the tray for providing snap fit relationship between the cover and the tray.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, the cover of the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 10 and adapted for coaction with a conventional tray generally designated by the numeral 11 to define a container when assembled as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 for for packaging foodstuffs or other goods. Although the tray Jill and the cover 1%, as illustrated, are circular in shape, it will be appreciated that it may take other shapes, such as a square shape.

The tray 11 includes a circular and substantially flat bottom 12 having a substantially vertically extending shallow wall 13 along its periphery. Extending outwardly from the upper edge of the wall 13 and peripherally thereof is an annular flange 14 that is preferably provided with an annular bead 15 at its outer periphery in order to eliminate a sharp edge. Preferably, the tray is of a rigid material, such as metal, and as illustrated it can be understood that this tray is conventional in structure.

The cover It for coacting with the tray 11 includes a central substantially flat and circular portion 16 having a downwardly and slightly outwardly flaring wall or panel portion 17. The wall or panel portion 17 is accordingly frusto-conical, and the upper edge merges gradually with the center portion. At the lower edge of the wall or panel 17, an outwardly extending annular flange 18 is provided which is adapted to sealingly engage the bottom 12 of the tray when the cover is assembled with the tray, as seen in FIG. 3. This sealing engagement enhances the life of any foodstuff packaged by the cover and tray even though the foodstuff may additionally be wrapped in cellophane or the like.

Attached to the outer peripheral edge of the flange 18 is a locking ring, generally designated by the numeral 19, having a transverse cross-sectional configuration that is inverted substantially U-shaped, and which serves to effect the locking and snap fit relationship of the cover on the tray.

The locking ring 19 includes an upwardly and outwardly flaring annular panel or wall 29 at the peripheral edge of the sealing flange 18. An outwardly extending generally horizontal flange 21, annular in shape, is pro vided along the upper peripheral edge of the wall 20. This flange extends substantially parallel to the flange 18. A downwardly projecting wall 22 is provided along a part of the peripheral edge of the flange 21. Along the remaining peripheral edge of the flange 21, an inwardly facing groove 23 is defined in a downwardly extending portion for engagement with the bead 15 of the tray as shown in FIG. 4. An outwardly sloping camming panel 24 extends from the lower end of the groove 23 as is shown in FIG. 4. A tab 25 extends upwardly from the lower edge of the panel 22.

Upon positioning and locking of the cover It) on the tray 11, the cover is forced downwardly whereby the camming portion 24 initially engages the bead 15 of the tray, and further downward urging of the cover operates the camming portion 24 to open the groove 23 and allow it tlc; receive the bead 15 into snap fit engagement therewit In removing the cover 10 from the tray 11, a knife or flat instrument such as indicated by the numeral 26 in FIG. 5 may be inserted between the wall portion 22 and the bead 15 of the tray so that the end of the knife may be worked to pry up the cover at one point along the locking ring 19, and the knife blade may be advanced along the Patented Dec; 4, 1952 head to further pry up an additional part of the locking ring. Essentially, by eliminating part of the groove in the area of the panel 22, a point of access is provided for an instrument such as a knife to aid in removing the cover from the tray.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, but it is understood that this application is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A container for packaging foodstuffs comprising a bottom of rigid material and a cover of flexible rapid recovery plastic therefor, said bottom having an upstanding peripheral wall having an outwardly extending flange at the upper edge thereof, said cover including an upwardly extending hollow portion closed at the upper end and open at the lower end, a horizontally extending annular sealingflange at the periphery of the lower end of the cover contacting and sealingly engaging said bottom, a continuous locking portion along the outer periphery of said sealing flange locking the cover to the bottom, said portion including an outer downwardly extending continuous wall telescoping over the outwardly extendin flange of the bottom, and an inwardly facing groove on said wall matingly engaging the outer free edge of said flange.

2. A cover of flexible rapid recovery plastic for use with a tray having an upstanding peripheral wall having an outwardly extending flange at the upper edge thereof, said cover including a substantially flat center portion, a continuous wall portion extending downwardly from the periphery of the center portion and defining therewith an inverted vessel, a first outwardly extending continuous flange portion at the lower end of said wall portion, an upwardly and outwardly continuous panel portion extending from the periphery of said flange portion, a second outwardly extending continuous flange portion along the periphery of said continuous panel, a downwardly and outwardly extending continuous panel portion along the periphery of said second flange portion, and an inwardly facing groove provided along part of said downwardly and outwardly extending continuous panel portion for engaging in snap-fit relationship the peripheral edge of said outwardly extending flange of said tray, said first outwardly extending continuous flange lying in a plane spaced below the plane of said inwardly facing groove when said cover is mounted on the tray in operative position.

3. A cover of flexible rapid recovery plastic for use with a circular tray having an upstanding peripheral wall having an outwardly extending flange at the upper edge thereof, said cover including a substantially circular and flat center portion, a continuous wall portion extending downwardly from the periphery of the center portion and defining therewith an inverted vessel, a first outwardly extending annular flange portion at the lower end of said wall portion, an upwardly and outwardly projecting annular panel portion extending from the periphery of said first flange portion, a second outwardly extending flange portion along the periphery of said upwardly and outwardly projecting annular panel, a downwardly extending annular panel portion along the periphery of said second flange portion, and an inwardly facing groove provided along a substantial portion of said .3 downwardly extending panel portion for engaging in snapfit relationship the peripheral edge of said outwardly extending flange of said tray, said first outwardly extending continuous flange lying in a plane spaced below the plane of said inwardly facing groove when said cover is mounted on the tray in operative position.

4. A cover of flexible rapid recovery plastic for use with a circular tray having an upstanding peripheral wall having an outwardly extending flange at the upper edge thereof, said cover including a substantially circular and flat center portion, a continuous wall portion extending downwardly from the periphery of the center portion and defining therewith an inverted vessel, a first outwardly extending annular flange portion at the lower end of said wall portion, said first flange portion extending through a plane substantially parallel to said center portion, an upwardly and outwardly projecting annular panel portion extending from the periphery of said first flange portion, a second outwardly extending flange portion along the periphery of said upwardly and outwardly projecting annular panel, said second flange portion extending through a plane substantially parallel to said center portion, a downwardly extending annular panel portion along the periphery of said second flange portion, and an inwardly facing groove provided along a substantial portion of said downwardly extending panel portion for engaging in snap-fit relationship the peripheral edge of said outwardly extending flange of said tray, said first outwardly extending continuous flange lying in a plane spaced below the plane of said inwardly facing groove when said cover is mounted on the tray in operative position.

5. A cover of flexible rapid recovery plastic for use with a circular tray having an upstanding peripheral wall having an outwardly extending flange at the upper edge thereof, said cover including a substantially circular and fiat center portion, a continuous Wall portion extending downwardly from the periphery of the center portion and defining therewith an inverted vessel, a first outwardly extending annular flange portion at the lower end of said wall portion, said first flange portion extending through a plane substantially parallel to said center portion, an upwardly and outwardly projecting annular panel portion extending from the periphery of said first flange portion, a second outwardly extending flange portion along the periphery of said upwardly and outwardly projecting annular panel, said second flange portion extending through a plane substantially parallel to said center portion, a downwardly extending annular panel portion along the periphery of said second flange portion, an inwardly facing groove provided along a substantial portion of said downwardly extending panel portion for engaging in snap-fit relationship the peripheral edge of said outwardly extending flange of said tray, said first outwardly extending continuous flange lying in a plane spaced below the plane of said inwardly facing groove when said cover is mounted on the tray in operative position, and a downwardly and outwardly projecting camming panel extending from the lower end of said groove for facilitating assembly of said cover to said tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

